The Hash House Harriers (abbreviated to HHH or H3, or referred to simply as hashing) is an international group of non-competitive running social clubs. An event organized by a club is known as a hash or hash run, with participants calling themselves hashers or hares and hounds.

The sport also includes bike chapters or bashes such as Perth Crankers

History of the Hash

Hashing originated in December 1938 in Selayang Quarry, Selangor, then in the Federated Malay States (now Malaysia), when a group of British colonial officers and expatriates began meeting on Monday evenings to run, in a fashion patterned after the traditional British paper chase or "hare and hounds", to rid themselves of the excesses of the previous weekend. The original members included Albert Stephen (A.S.) Ignatius "G" Gispert, Cecil Lee, Frederick "Horse" Thomson, Ronald "Torch" Bennett and John Woodrow. A. S. Gispert suggested the name "Hash House Harriers" after the Selangor Club Annex, where several of the original hashers happened to live and dined, known as the "Hash House".

After the end of World War II, in an attempt to organize the city of Kuala Lumpur, they were informed by the Registrar of Societies that as a "group," they would require a constitution. Apart from the excitement of chasing the hare and finding the trail, harriers reaching the end of the trail would partake of beer, ginger beer and cigarettes.

The objectives of the Hash House Harriers as recorded on the club registration card dated 1950:

To promote physical fitness among our members

To get rid of weekend hangovers

To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer

To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel

Hashing died out during World War II shortly after the Invasion of Malayabut was restarted in 1946 after the war by several of the original group, minus A. S. Gispert, who was killed on 11 February 1942 in the Japanese invasion of Singapore, an event commemorated by many chapters by an annual Gispert Memorial Run.

In 1962, Ian Cumming founded the second chapter in Singapore. The idea eventually spread through the Far East and the South Pacific, Europe, North America, expanding rapidly during the mid-1970s.

At present, there are almost two thousand chapters in all parts of the world, with members distributing newsletters, directories, and magazines and organizing regional and world hashing events. Hashing arrived in Perth on the 16th February 1970 with the creation of Perth Hash House Harriers. Since then Perth has turned into a Hash Mega-centre with more than twenty different Hash Clubs in the greater Metro area.

History of Perth Crankers

Back in late 2008 a group of seasoned hashers decided Perth was ready for its first Bike Hash. This group comprised 2IC (ex Karratha Cycle On Hash), Cock-Breath (ex. Karratha Cycle on Hash), Concord (Bullsbrook Hash), Fartin (ex Karratha Cycle on Hash and Bullsbrook Hash), On Call, now known as Shreck (ex Karratha Cycle on Hash) and Screwdriver (ex Mother Hash, Kuala Lumpur Bike Hash and Hamersley Hash).

The first ride was set by Concord and Fartin at Trigg Beach on Sunday 1st February 2009. A total of 44 riders turned up and the club was born. We now ride regularly on the first Sunday of every month at 2.30 pm in Summer, and 2pm in Winter.